Label-attaching machine



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,364. F. M. PETERS ET AL.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHlNE- FILED MAY 26, 1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET h I 29 Wad,M, %/)W 3-% Mar. 13, 1923. I 1,448,364.

' F. M. PETERS ET AL.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

FILED MAY 26, 1919- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED s PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. PETERS AND WARREN H. I-IUNGERFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNORS TO PETERS MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Application filed May 26,

To all whom it may concern; 7

Be it known that we, FRANK M. PETERS and VVARREN H. HUNGERFORD, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Label-Attaching Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a machine for applyinglabels to articles, andis adapted to feed label's consecutively from a magazine, apply paste oradhesive thereto, and aflix the labels to articles such as cartons orpackageswhich are continuously fed past the point of application of thelabels.

It is an important object of our invention to provide a machine of this.character with means automatically controlled by the presence of a labelon the carrier to apply paste to the label, and serving when a labelfails to feed onto the carrier to avoid application of the pastethereto. Other important objects of the invention are to provideimproved means to resiliently press the label against the article toinsure tho-rough application without damage to the article; ,to providean improved holder for the supply of labelsv to maintain them in properposition to feed properly onto the carrier; and in general, to providean improved label attaching machine of simple form which obviatesdisadvantages which have been experienced with machines of thischaracter heretofore provided.

On the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the labelattaching machinewith some of the parts broken away and others shown in section, andincludes a fragmentary portion of the frame upon which the machine ismounted. Fig. 2 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. l on the line2-2 and includes a fragmentary portion of a package carrier forsupplying packages to the labeling machine to be labeled.

The machine shown in the accompanying drawings is an improvement on thatshown in Patent N 0. 770,696, dated September 20, 1904, designedparticularly for usein connection with a. wrapping machine of thecharacter shown in said patent, and the reference numeral 1 indicates aportion of a carrier of such a wrapping machine which has pockets 2 forholding the packages to 7 through which bolts are LABEL-ATTACHINGMACHINE.

1919. Serial No. 299,924.

label is attached. Our present invention,

however, is not limited to use with, such a carrier, but any suitablemeans may be employed for moving the packages successively to thelabeling position and removing same from such. position after the labelis affixed thereto. A frame 3 is mounted adjacent the position at whichthe label is to be attached and has a pair of brackets 4 and 5 held inseparated parallel relation, by spacers 6 and passed for holding theframes4 and 5 together. The label carrier comprises a tube 8 fitted toslide in a sleeve 9, the latter having trunnions 10 journaled inbearings in the frames 4 and 5 to enable the label carrier to swing toan upright position to receive a label from the label magazine and toahorizontal position to affix the label to the package. A hollow head 11is provided on that end of the pipe 8 which swings down adjacent thepackage on the carrier 1 and has a flat outer face to receive the labeland press same against the package on the carrier. The chamber 12 in thehead 11 communicates with the passageway through the pipe. 8, and has anaper ture 13 through the front wall of the head to'maintain suction. onthe label for holding it in place on the face of the head.

A long sleeve 14 is mounted to slide on the tube 8 and spaced from thehead 11 so that a spring 15 may be interposed between the head 11 andthe sleeve 14 for applying a resilient pressure on the head 11 in theoperation of affixing the label. The sleeve 14 is enlarged atone end, asat 16,-toafford a broad faced portion engaged between a-rcuate guides 17of the frames 4 and 5 to prevent turning of the sleeve 14 between thearcuate guides, and each of these. guides has an arcuate slot 18concentric with-the pivots 10 of the carrier and terminating at thelower end in a. horizontal extension 19 projecting toward the packageholder, and an extension 20 at the upper end projecting upwardly towarda label magazine mounted thereabove. The junctures of the slot 18 withthe extensions 19 and 20 are carefully round-ed, and the enlarged end 16of the sleeve 14,provided with rollers 21 engaged in the slots, andextensions so as to freely travel therein in the movement of the labelcarrier from the horizontal to the upright position and reversely.

The tube 8 is held from rotation in the sleeve 14 and relativelongitudinal movement limited by a pin 22 projecting outwardly from thepipe 8 and engaged in a slot 23 in the sleeve 14, the pin 22 normallyengaging the inner end of the slot 23 by reason of the tension of thespring 15, but being withdrawn a short distance therefrom as the head 11presses thelabel against the package.

The mechanism of this labeling machine may be operated from anysuitablesource of power, being, of course, synchronized with, theoperation of the carrier 1 to affix the label at the time the package isproperly positioned by the carrier 1. The reference numeral 24 indicatesa drive shaft folthe labeling mechanism which is thus synchronouslyoperable with the carrier 1 and has an eccentric 2:") thereon arrangedto swing the label carrier at the proper time to receive a label fromthe magazine and affix the label to the package. A rocker arm 27 ispivoted at the outer side of the frame member 5 on a stud or bolt 28secured to the frame 5 at its lower end and preferably at the point ofconnection of the frames 4 and 5 by the spacer 6. and the upper end ofthis lever is pivotally connected by a link which embraces the eccentric25 so that when the shaft 24- is rotated, the rocker arm 27 isoscillated on its pivot 28.

The rocker arm 27, link 29, and extension 30 are so arranged and ofsuitable length so that when the label carrier is in the lowermostposition the link 29 is substantially horizontal and movement of therocker arm 27 to the right extremity of its movement (looking at Fig. 2)drives the sleeve 14 and tube 8 of the label carrier laterally towardthe package to be labeled the label carrier being guided at such time bythe travel of the rollers 21 in the slot extensions 19. Movement of therocker arm 27 to the left (looking at Fig. 2) withdraws the labelcarrier from the package, and the curved juncture of the slots 18 withthe extensions 19 directs the rollers 21 upwardly into the slots 18 andthereby raises the sleeve 14 and the end of the link 29 which isconnected with the extension 30, and changes the angular relation of thelink 29 with the rocker arm 27 whereby the latter assumes a liftingeffects as it continues its movement and forces the rollers 21 to travelupwardly in the slots 18 and swings the label carrier to the uprightposition. As the label carrier nears the upright position the link 29approaches a position of alignment with the rocker arm 27 and therollers 21 (that is, movement to the right, looking at Fig. 2) withdrawsthe label carrier from the upright position and returns it to thehorizontal position for aihxing the label, the complete cycle ofoperations of the label carrier being effected with each rotation of thedriving shaft 24.

The label magazine 32 comprises an upright casing of suitable dimensionsto hold a stack of labels 33 therein, and is supported by brackets 34 onthe upper ends of the frames 4 and 5 directly above the positionoccupied by the head 11 on the label carrier when the latter is inupright position. At each side of the casing of the label magazine andon the inner face thereof is a plate 36, each of which has an inturnedlip 36 at the lower end projecting under the opposite edges of thelabels merely a sufficient distance to support the stack of labels inthe magazine. These lips are comparatively thin and admit the head 11 ofthe label carrier thereunder sufliciently close to the bottom label sothat the latter may bereadily withdrawn from the magazine.

For withdrawing the labels singly from the magazine and holding same onthe head 11 until they are affixed to the package, we provide an airexhauster of any suitable form (not shown) to which the pipe 37 isconnected, and have a flexible hose 38 connecting this pipe with anipple39 on the valie head 40 mounted on the outer end of the pipe 8 andcommunicating with the interior of the pipe so as to continually exhaustthe air therefrom and from the chamber 12 in the head 11, and afford asuction through the aperture 13 sufiicient to draw a label 33 from thebottom of the stack of labels in the magazine 32 and hold same securelyon the face of the head 11 as it is transferred to the labeling positionand applied to the package. The valve head 40 has an opening therefromat the outer end which is nor mally closed by a valve 41 hinged to thehead at 42, and having a spring 43 for holding the valve closed. Afinger 44 projects upwardly from the valve 41 into position to engage astop 45 which is adjustably clamped on the spacer 7 of the frames 4 and5 so that when the label carrier is projected to press the label againstthe package the valve 41 is opened, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to releasethe suction in the pipe 8 and chamber 12 of the head and relieve thesuction through the aperture 13 on the'label,

' ticularly at the bottom and to feed the labels magazine to direct thesame to the 7 roller 47 journaled therein so onto the head 11 in properposition to be afiixed .to the package, a shaft 77 is journaledtransversely across the front of the magazine in bearings 78 on the sidewalls, and has a central arm 79 thereon with a,de-- pending spring 80extending inwardly at a slight angle to the stack of labels in theproper position at the bottom of the magazine, the lower end of'thisspring being arranged to resiliently press against the stack of labelsadjacent the bottom thereof just above the point of exit from themagazine. An adjusting arm 81 is secured to one end of the shaft 77 andhas an arcuate slot 82 at the outer end engaged by a screw 83 threadedinto the wall of the magazine to enable the spring 80 to be adjusted toafford the proper tension on the labels.

Mounted adjacent the upper end of the frame 3 is a paste receptacle 46with. a paste as to dip into the paste at all times. The shaft '49 towhich this roller is secured projects outside the paste receptacle andhas a gear 50 there on meshing with a gear wheel 51, which is connectedin any suitable manner with the driving mechanism of the machine to beconstantly operated. The side walls of the paste receptacle 46 areextended as at 52 to afford elevated bearings-to support another roller53 which rolls against the roller 47' to receive a coating of paste, andis positively driven with the roller 47 by the intermeshing gears 54 and55 connected with the rollers 47 and 53 respectively.

A pair of links 56 are pivoted at their ends on aligning axes'57 ontheupper ends of the frames 4 and 5, and have a paste roll 58 journaledto rotate on a shaft 59 which connects the outer ends of the links 56 ina manner to afford a rigid frame to support this paste roll. One of thearms 56 is connected by a link 60 with a rocking lever 61 -.pivoted at62 intermediate of its ends on a bracket 63 mounted on the frame 3, andthe opposite end of the lever 61 has a roller 64 engaged under a cam 65on the shaft 24 and maintained in contact therewith by the weight of thepaste roll 58, its frame .and connections. This cam is arranged tonormally hold the roll 58 up in contact with 'taching position.

the gear 65, the teeth of these gears being preferably pointed, asshown, to insure ready meshing. The cam 65 is suitably arranged withreference to the eccentric 25 and cut away to permit the roll 58 to dropdown just prior to the passage of the label carrying head 11 thereunderas it carries a i label from the ma azine'32 to the label atroller 91 isspaced from one end of the paste roll 58 so as to be engaged by thefinger 92 as the head 11 approaches the depressed paste roll 58, andthereby hold the latter up and permit the head and label thereon to passsmoothly thereunder, and wipe the label against the roll 58 to receive acoating of paste. After the label is moved past the roll 58, the cam 65immediately returns. the roll 58 to the upper position against the roll53v to be recoated with paste.

In order to avoid application of paste to the surface of the head 11 inthe absence of the label thereon, which may occasionally occur throughfailure of a label to feed fromthe magazine 32, we have provided anautomatic mechanism controlled by the presence of a label on the head 11for regulating the operation of the paste roll 58. For this purpose thelever 61 has a lug 66 which is adapted to be engaged by the pendentlever 67 which is pivotally mounted at 68 on the frame of the machine,and has a hook or detent 69 at the lower end. arranged to engageunder'the lug 66 to hold'the paste roller in the elevated position. Anarm 7 0 is fixed to the upper end'of the lever 67, and a spring 71connected to the outer end of this arm and to a bracket, 72 on the frameof the machine is adapted to normally swing the lever 67 to engage thedetent 69 under the lug 66. Obviously the lever 67 .must be withdrawn ateach time that a label is carried from the magazine to the position ofaflixing the label, in order that the paste roll 58 may be depressed tocoat the label with paste. To permit this operation we have provided acylinder 73 with a plunger 74 slidably fitted therein and having a rod75 connecting the piston with the lever 67 The outer end of thiscylinder has the air exhaust pipe 37 connected therewith and likewisethe flexible hose 38 so as to regulate the adjustment of the lever 67 bythe presence of a label on the head 11.

The pipe 37 being connected with a continuously acting air exhaust meanstends to exhaust the air from the interior of the tube 8 and the chamber12 of the label carrier head. When the head 11 swings upwardly to aposition under the magazine 32, thetrigger 44 of the valve 41 isreleased from the stop 45 so that the valve is closed by the action ofthe spring 43. The interruption of admission of air through this valvethen leaves the aperture 13 of the head 11 alone available to compensatefor the reduction of pressure in the head due to the continuing exhaustof air therefrom through the tube 8, hose 38, and pipe 37, and as thehead 11 moves up to the position immediately below the stack of labels33 in the magazine 32, the inrush of airtlirough the aperture 13 sucksthe lowermost label down against the face of the head 11, thus closingthe air inlet, detaching the lowermost label from the stack of labelsand holding it securely on the face of the head as it is carried therebypast the paste roll to the labeling position. The

closing of the aperture 13 by the label interrupts admission of air intothe head 11, and as the valve 41 is closed, suction is built up in thecylinder chamber 76 and withdraws the piston 7 4 and with it the lever67 so that the detent 69 thereof is withdrawn from the lug 66 andpermits the paste roll to depress when the cut-away portion of the cam65 reaches the roller 64. This occurs just previous to the passage ofthe head 11 under the paste roll '58 so thatthe latter is in theposition indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that the label isdrawn against the roller and a coating of paste is thus applied to thelabel. The label carrier then swings on downwardly to the horizontalposition so that the head 11 and label thereon is directly in front ofthe end of the package 75, and as the carrier is projected towards thepackage, the trigger 74 engages the stop 45, thereby opening the valve41 and relieving the suction in the carrier and chamber 12 of the head,thus releasing the pull on the label on the head so that the latter maybe withdrawn without any tendency of the label to stick to the head.

Thepressure applied to the carrier to aliix the label to the package istransmitted through the lever 27 and link 29 to the sleeve 14 which isfitted to slide on the tube 8, and through the spring 15 applies ayielding pressure to the label head 11 to press the label firmly againstthe package without danger of crushing or damaging the package.

In the event that a label fails to feed onto the head 11 from themagazine 32, or for any other reason there is no label on the head as itis passed under the paste roll 53, the latter is retained in theelevated positlon and therefore prevented from coating the head 11 withthe paste. This is accomphshed by reason of the aperture 13 beinguncovered and admitting-suficient air to satisfy the rate of exhaust ofair through invention in a preferred form, and the manner of applicationto a particular type of package carrier, we are aware that variouschanges and modifications may be made, and that it may be applied toother types of package carriers without departing from the principles ofour invention, and we therefore do not propose limiting the patentgranted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

' We claim as our invention:

1. In a labeling machine, the combination of a movable label picker,paste applying means, mechanism for shifting the paste applying means toand from a. position for applying paste to the labels on the picker, anda stop controlled independently of the picker movement and eflectiveonly in the absence of a. label on the picker, to control shifting ofthe paste applying means to the paste applying position.

2. In a labeling machine, the combination of a frame,'means for holdingan article to be labeled, a movable carrier on the frame for supplyinglabels to be affixed to the article, means operable to apply paste tothe label on the carrier, and a suction device stationarily mounted onthe frame and controlled by the labels on the carrier for regulating theoperation of the paste applying means.

3. lln a labeling machine, the combina tion of a holder for the'articleto be labeled, a carrier for feeding labels to be affixed to thearticle, a paste roll movable to and from a position for applying pasteto the label on t e carrier, a stop for interrupting movement of thepaste roll, and a suction mechanism operatively connected with the stopand controlled by the labels on the carrier.

4. In a labeling machine, the combination of a holder for an article tobe labeled, a magazine for labels, a carrier pivotally mounted andprovided with a label supporting head adapted to receive a label thereonfrom the magazine, and press same matically release the label as it ispressed against the article, and means controlled by the suction actingupon the label, for regulating th operation of the paste applyingmechanism.

5. In a label affixing machine, the combination of a holder for thearticle to be labeled a label magazine, a label carrier for transferringa label from the magazine and pressing same against the article in theholder, and having a label supporting head with an air inlet apertureadapted to he covered by the label, a paste roll adapted to apply acoating of paste to the label on the head, a drive shaft having a camfor normallyholding the paste roll in an elevated position andperiodically permitting depression of the paste roll to engage the labelon the head, a latch normally locking the paste roll against depression,and suction operated means connnunicating With the aforesaid air inletof the carrier head and adapted when the label covers the inlet torelease said latch and otherwise to maintain the latch in the normalposition.

FRANK M. PETERS. vWARREN H. HUNGERFORD.

